Phelister incongruens, Caterino & Tishechkin, 2020

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2020, Recognition and revision of the Phelister blairi group (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 1001, pp. 1-154 : 1

40. Phelister incongruens sp. nov. Figs 25A, B , 26A, B , Map 14

Type material.

Holotype male: " Guyane Française: Réserve des Nouragues 4°43'N, - 52°24'W [4.0378, -52.6725], piège d’interception 30 Sep 2009, SEAG leg." / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00455 (MNHN). Paratypes (4): French Guiana: Régina, Rés. Natur. des Nouragues, Camp Inselberg (4.0833, -52.6833), 1/25/11, FIT, SEAG, EXO-03220 (CHND, 1ex.); Mont Tabulaire Itoupé (3.0303, -53.1067), 400 m, 3/17/10, FIT, SEAG, EXO-03357 (CHND, 1ex.); Mont Tabulaire Itoupé (3.0303, -53.1067), 400 m, 3/23/10, FIT, SEAG, EXO-00373 (CHND, 1ex.); Amazone Nature Lodge, 300 m, 4.55033°N, 52.17031°W flight intercept. 11-23.viii.2017, R.Morris & J.Wappes" (AKTC 1ex.).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.93-2.29 mm (avg. 2.15 mm); width: 1.62-1.97 mm (avg. 1.85 mm). Body elongate oval, convex, variably rufescent, with very conspicuous ground punctation everywhere, on pronotum uniformly intermingled with secondary punctation; frons weakly depressed; supraorbital stria present, ends free; frontal stria fine, complete; epistoma broad, with edges raised; labrum wide, deeply emarginate; left mandible with short, blunt basal tooth, that of right mandible small, acute; prescutellar impression slightly elongate, only slightly wider than scutellum; median pronotal gland openings obscured by punctation, possibly absent; marginal pronotal stria complete along lateral margin; lateral submarginal stria complete, continuous with marginal stria behind head; elytron with single, complete epipleural stria; outer subhumeral stria fine, present at base and apex, narrowly interrupted at middle, inner subhumeral absent; dorsal striae 1-5 and sutural complete, 5th arched to sutural stria; propygidium with small secondary punctures sparsely intermingled with ground punctation, that of pygidium finer and mainly in basal 1/2; prosternal keel weakly emarginate at base, striae united at base and apex, secondary striae present along basal 1/2 of keel, keel narrowed anteriorly; prosternal lobe short, with complete marginal stria; mesoventrite weakly produced, with complete marginal stria continued laterally by postmesocoxal stria which ends behind posterior corner of mesocoxa; mesometaventral stria arcuate across middle, reaching middle of mesoventrite, continued at sides by lateral metaventral stria to middle of metacoxa; metaventrite of male weakly depressed, with very dense ground punctation, with larger secondary punctures near metacoxa; metaventrite of female flat, with larger secondary punctures; 1st abdominal ventrite with two incomplete lateral striae, the anterior 1/2 of disk with dense secondary punctures; protibia with outer margin weakly dentate but strongly spinose, with five or six marginal spines, the apical most particularly prominent, with a shallow emargination along apical margin; meso- and metatibiae with rather long, fine marginal spines largely restricted to distal halves. Male: basal piece narrow, ~ 1/3 length of tegmen; tegmen with sides subparallel in basal 2/3, abruptly narrowed to hooked apices; medioventral process present, projecting at basal 1/3 of tegmen, divided at middle; median lobe ~ 1/2 tegmen length, abruptly narrowed to bases.

Etymology.

The name refers to the very different, incongruous, punctation on the pronotum vs. the elytra.

Distribution.

This species is known only from a couple of localities in French Guiana.

Remarks.

This species is distinct in the distribution of surface sculpture, with its ground punctation conspicuous everywhere, that on the pronotum uniformly interspersed with coarse secondary punctation (not restricted to sides). Additionally, the venter exhibits distinct macrosculpture all over. The interrupted outer subhumeral stria is an unusual character but is seen in a few other species in this group. It is particularly similar to P. praesignis but has the secondary punctation of the pronotum larger yet slightly sparser, and the ground punctation of the pronotum and especially the elytra distinctly finer. It is also more broadly rounded, and has a complete submarginal pronotal stria, absent in P. praesignis .

While all (five) specimens of this species are from French Guiana, they fall into two distinct size classes, with the smaller ones (two males, one female) also lighter in color. However, no other differences are apparent, and we assume we have not captured the full range of variation with so few specimens.

Figures

Map 14. Collecting records for Phelister gregarius (circles), P. rudis (black squares), and P. incongruens (stars).

Figure 25. A, B Phelister incongruens: A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C, D P. congruens: C dorsal habitus D ventral habitus E, F P. praesignis: E dorsal habitus F ventral habitus.

Figure 26. Male genitalia A, B Phelister incongruens: A aedeagus, dorsal B aedeagus, lateral C, D P. congruens: C aedeagus, dorsal D aedeagus, lateral E, F P. praesignis: E aedeagus, dorsal F aedeagus, lateral.